Filmmaking / Directing

Talent is the one thing that no one can take away from you. But talent is not the same as success, it is just a plus.

We need more than talent to achieve success and get what we want. First comes talent and then comes mindset.

This is what I consider the real "big plus". With a strong and focused mindset, you can achieve great things in life, from the smallest to the biggest.

Build a strong, powerful and positive mindset every single day, because it becomes a habit, and eventually it becomes your reality.

Let's build today to create the future we have always dreamed of.

One thing I increasingly believe about psychological thrillers is this:

Secondary characters are never “secondary.”

At least, they should not be.

The strongest psychological thriller secondary characters do far more than support plot progression.

They expose the protagonist.

They become:

- mirrors

- emotional triggers

- philosophical oppositions

- alternate survival systems

And through them, the audience slowly begins understanding the protagonist at a much deeper level.

I think this is where psychological storytelling separates itself from procedural storytelling.

A procedural thriller asks:

“Will the protagonist solve the case?”

A psychological thriller asks:

“What emotional truth will the protagonist be forced to confront through the people surrounding them?”

That distinction changed the way I approached character dynamics while developing Yohana’s World.

I became less interested in creating “supporting characters” and more interested in designing psychological reflections around Yohana.

Each major character became an emotional force pulling against her internal defences.

Because Yohana herself is highly controlled.

She:

- observes instead of confesses

- analyses instead of emotionally reacting

- studies other people’s wounds while suppressing her own

So the people around her needed to destabilize those defences in different ways.

Michelle became vulnerability.

Her emotional openness contrasts Yohana’s restraint completely.

Where Yohana internalizes pain, Michelle expresses it visibly.

And because of that, helping Michelle slowly forces Yohana into emotional territory she has spent years avoiding.

Adam became structure. Logic. Procedure. Institutional thinking.

He challenges Yohana’s intuitive and emotionally perceptive way of seeing the world.

Their dynamic became less about agreement and more about philosophical friction: evidence versus instinct, systems versus emotional truth.

You know, modern viewers are psychologically literate.

They are less interested in purely mechanical villains and more interested in emotionally coherent behaviour.

Why someone became dangerous matters as much as what they do.

Read the full article complementing this post: https://blog.yohanasworld.com/psychological-thriller-secondary-characters/

Learn more about Yohana’s World and register your interest on: https://yohanasworld.com/

Read the first 21 pages of the screenplay here : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l1P1dKHB_XoqHUJ55vh-m-2F4PE9oHcL/view

One of the most fascinating questions in today’s film industry is this:

How do you create a project with genuine franchise potential without sacrificing artistic integrity?

Studios increasingly want scalable IP. Audiences increasingly want emotional depth.

Balancing both is difficult.

And that balance became one of the core creative goals behind Yohana’s World.

At its core, the screenplay is a psychological thriller built around:

- trauma

- unstable perception

- investigation

- identity fragmentation

- emotional reintegration

But structurally, it was also designed with long-term film franchise potential in mind.

Not through repetitive action or oversized mythology, but through psychological continuity.

I think the strongest franchises are ultimately character-driven.

Audiences return because they remain emotionally invested in the protagonist’s evolution.

And psychological thrillers are uniquely positioned to sustain that connection because internal conflict naturally evolves over time.

Yohana herself became the foundation for that system.

She is:

- highly intelligent

- emotionally guarded

- psychologically fractured

- investigative by nature

- deeply affected by abandonment and memory

The murder investigation drives the external story.

But the real narrative engine is her internal world.

As the story progresses:

- perception destabilizes

- emotional defences collapse

- reality and imagination begin overlapping

- psychological manifestations emerge

That architecture creates enormous long-term storytelling potential because the franchise evolves emotionally rather than mechanically.

Future instalments do not need to rely on “bigger explosions.”

They deepen:

- psychological stakes

- emotional fragmentation

- moral ambiguity

- perception distortion

- identity reconstruction

And from a production standpoint, that is incredibly valuable.

I also think the current marketplace increasingly favours this type of genre storytelling.

Unlike action-heavy franchises, psychologically driven stories scale through atmosphere, performance and emotional investment.

And that creates sustainability.

Read the full article complementing this post: https://blog.yohanasworld.com/film-franchise-potential-yohanas-world/

Learn more about Yohana’s World and register your interest on: https://yohanasworld.com/

Read the first 21 pages of the screenplay here : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l1P1dKHB_XoqHUJ55vh-m-2F4PE9oHcL/view

This segment of my AI series covers a tool I use in documentary editing. For earlier installments, check the Animation lounge.

***

I first heard of Google’s Notebook LM as a way for researchers and journalists to query a corpus of documents. I watched a tutorial (geared towards college faculty) that described how to upload class materials and create slide decks from them. Sure, Notebook LM could hallucinate and regurgitate bad info, but professors should be able to fix that, right?

One day while editing a documentary feature with thirty-eight plus interviews, I remembered Notebook LM. I uploaded all my transcripts (generated by Adobe Premiere and exported as TXT files) and started asking questions. Who spoke on certain topics? What are some related sub-topics? The AI gave quality responses with links back to the source transcripts.

I got excited. I told Notebook LM I was editing a documentary and asked it to suggest quotes around a topic, with names of the individual speakers and the timecodes related to source transcripts. Worked really well! Not flawlessly — sometimes the AI would misunderstand who was speaking in a given transcript, but that’s my job to catch those errors, right?

So the next step was to track down those quotes (timecode helped) and put them in the right order. It’s a rough draft to get the ball rolling on a given scene, not the final scene. I’d love it if this was built into Premiere so it could do that rough draft with one click, but maybe in the near future.

Part 4 coming soon…

Use these traits to help develop your film characters.

34. Perseverance: The character is able to continue trying to achieve something despite difficulties or opposition, displaying determination and resilience in the pursuit of their goals, and refusing to be deterred by setbacks or obstacles.

35. Pride: The character takes pride in their achievements and accomplishments, showing a sense of satisfaction and self-worth. This could mean being proud of their accomplishments, being proud of their abilities, or being proud of their contributions to others.

36. Responsibility: The character takes ownership of their actions and their consequences, showing a sense of accountability and maturity. This could mean being responsible for their own actions, being responsible for their own decisions, or being able to take responsibility for their mistakes.

37. Resilience: The character can bounce back from setbacks and challenges, showing strength and adaptability in the face of adversity. This could mean being able to cope with stress and pressure, bouncing back from failure, or being able to recover from difficult situations with grace.

38. Resourcefulness: The character is able to find creative solutions to problems, showing an ability to think on their feet and adapt to changing circumstances. They can find solutions to difficult problems, come up with new ideas, and handle unexpected challenges with ease.

39. Respect: The character is polite and considerate towards others, showing an understanding of the value and dignity of all individuals. This could mean being respectful towards others' opinions, being respectful towards others' boundaries, or being respectful towards others' feelings.

40. Self-discipline: The character is able to control their impulses and stick to a plan, showing a sense of self-control and determination. This could mean being able to resist temptation, being able to stay focused on their goals, or being able to follow through on their commitments.

41. Selflessness: The character is willing to sacrifice their own needs for the greater good, showing a sense of altruism and generosity. This could mean being selfless in their actions, being willing to help others, or being able to put others' needs before their own.

42. Sense of humor: The character can find amusement in difficult situations, showing a sense of lightheartedness and resilience. This could mean being able to laugh at themselves, being able to see the humor in difficult situations, or being able to find joy in the little things.

43. Sensitivity: The character is aware of their own emotions and the emotions of others, showing empathy and emotional intelligence. This could mean being sensitive to others' feelings, being able to express their own emotions, or being able to handle difficult emotions with grace.

44. Sociability: The character is friendly and enjoys being with other people, demonstrating warmth and sociability in their interactions, and often fostering connections and relationships within their community or social circle.

45. Tolerance: The character is accepting of others who are different from themselves, showing a willingness to embrace diversity and inclusivity. This could mean being tolerant of others' beliefs, being tolerant of others' differences, or being able to see the value of diversity.

NEXT ARTICLE: 45 Negative Character Personality Traits (pt1)

A question that keeps coming up: Will AI replace traditional film productions?

It’s clear that AI is here to stay. A new era has begun, and many people across different industries still don’t know how to “digest” it, or whether it will eventually replace their profession.

Without a doubt, those who refuse to get on the train will probably be left behind.

But the more interesting question is — what about those who did get on it?

As a filmmaker, I can’t help but be amazed by the technology, the shortcuts, and the amount of time it saves us. By the ability to create simpler solutions. To make films and commercials that would once have cost tens of thousands of dollars — and sometimes tens or hundreds of millions.

I use this technology in filmmaking and explore the wide range of possibilities it offers.

And yet, I still love going out to shooting days, being on set, experiencing the people, the atmosphere, and the magic of traditional filmmaking.

The first episode of the web series I’m creating using AI was released on YouTube this week.

If I had the opportunity and a $100,000,000 production budget, I’d probably choose to shoot the series traditionally.

But I decided to use the solution currently available to me — and fully commit to it.

You can look at it as a kind of PROOF OF CONCEPT, and maybe one day I’ll get the opportunity to direct this story as a full-scale production.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the first episode.

The next episode will be released soon.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

And also whether you liked the first episode.

And if not… just lie :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r_iS5SKRBM&t=6s

One of the most powerful ideas in psychological thriller filmmaking is this:

Space is never neutral.

In most genres, environments simply function as locations where scenes occur.

But in psychological thrillers, architecture becomes emotional.

- A hallway becomes anticipation.

- An empty room becomes vulnerability.

- A doorway becomes uncertainty.

- Negative space becomes psychological pressure.

That transformation is what I think defines Psychological Thriller Framing.

And while developing Yohana’s World, I became deeply interested in how spatial design can quietly destabilize an audience long before overt conflict appears.

Because suspense, sometimes is created through the emotional weight of empty space.

One of the techniques I explored heavily was negative space.

In conventional filmmaking, empty areas of the frame are often minimized.

Psychological thrillers frequently do the opposite.

They embrace:

- emptiness

- stillness

- visual imbalance

And something fascinating happens psychologically when this occurs.

The audience begins scanning the frame themselves.

They start asking:

- Is someone there?

- What exists beyond the visible space?

- Why does the room feel unsafe?

- Why does the frame feel emotionally wrong?

That viewer participation creates tension automatically.

In Yohana’s World, negative space became an emotional extension of Yohana herself.

She is frequently framed:

- alone within architecture

- visually separated from others

- surrounded by quietness

- emotionally isolated despite physical proximity

The emptiness surrounding her reflects internal fragmentation.

I also relied heavily on asymmetry.

See, we humans instinctively seek visual balance.

So, when a frame becomes slightly misaligned:

- off-centre positioning

- interrupted symmetry

- uneven architecture

- weighted compositions

The audience subconsciously feels instability.

Even if they cannot explain why.

That subtle psychological friction is incredibly effective in thrillers.

Read the full article complementing this post: https://blog.yohanasworld.com/psychological-thriller-framing/

Learn more about Yohana’s World and register your interest on: https://yohanasworld.com/

Read the first 21 pages of the screenplay here : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l1P1dKHB_XoqHUJ55vh-m-2F4PE9oHcL/view

Use these personality traits to develop your film characters.

23. Humor: The character has a good sense of humor which is a valuable asset in fostering connections and building rapport, as it creates an atmosphere of warmth and camaraderie. Individuals with a knack for humor can defuse tension, promote positivity, and uplift spirits, contributing to a more enjoyable and harmonious social environment.

24. Independence: The character is self-reliant and able to make their own decisions, showing a sense of autonomy and self-sufficiency. They can take care of themselves, make their own choices and rely on their own judgment.

25. Integrity: The character is honest and has strong moral principles, showing a commitment to doing what is right and ethical. This could mean being honest in their interactions, being true to their word, or being able to stand up for what they believe in.

26. Intelligence: The character is smart and has a high level of cognitive ability, often displaying keen insight, problem-solving skills, and a capacity for learning and understanding complex concepts.

27. Kindness: The character demonstrates friendliness and compassion towards others, showing genuine care and concern for their well-being. This could manifest in actions such as offering a helping hand to someone in need, comforting a friend in distress, or showing understanding toward others.

28. Loyalty: The character is committed to their friends and family, showing unwavering support and dedication to those they care about. This could mean standing by their loved ones through thick and thin, being there for them in times of need, and being a reliable and trustworthy friend.

29. Maturity: The character is emotionally and mentally mature, displaying wisdom, judgment, and self-awareness in their actions and decisions, and often serving as a source of guidance and stability for others.

30. Open-mindedness: The character is receptive to new ideas and perspectives, showing a willingness to consider alternative viewpoints. This could mean being open to new ideas, being willing to listen to others, or being able to see things from a different perspective.

31. Optimism: The character is hopeful and positive about the future, maintaining a positive outlook even in difficult circumstances. This could mean seeing the silver lining in every situation, finding hope in the face of adversity, or believing in the potential for positive change.

32. Patience: The character can wait calmly for something to happen, showing an ability to endure delays or setbacks without becoming frustrated. This could mean being patient with others, waiting for the right moment to act, or being patient with themselves as they work towards their goals.

33. Persistence: The character is determined and does not give up easily, showing a willingness to keep trying even when faced with obstacles or challenges. This could mean persevering in the face of adversity, staying focused on their goals, or bouncing back from setbacks with renewed determination.

NEXT ARTICLE: 45 Positive Character Personality Traits (pt4)

Hi everyone. How important do you think a soundtrack or score is for a film, and why?

Can the right music make a scene stronger, or should it only support what is already on screen?

At what stage should a filmmaker start thinking about the music — during writing, editing, or after the film is finished?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I’m a writer by trade, but trying to get a screenplay into production. I’ve taken up acting to help raise money and learn more about that side of the equation. I ended up in The Obsidian Mirror, a coming of age paranormal thriller playing the old, gruff, bald dude. Had a great time and learned a lot:

https://youtu.be/MiGMw5GO_Do?si=3TFrnLu7yXfIKEWn

Douglas Esper

When putting your film together it can be hard to know how to address some challenges. Here is an article that just might give some insight on how to tackle those issues:

https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/best-tips-short-film-short-amount...